Pediatric problems in a suburban shelter for homeless families.
The experience of an affiliation between a hospital-based clinic and a family shelter is presented. The medical implications of family shelter residence include special issues related to the spread of infectious diseases, particularly to the neonate. Preentry medical evaluation revealed that a large proportion of children and their parents had one or more medical problems. Of 67 children screened before entrance, 13% [corrected] had Giardia lamblia detected in the stool. In addition to carriage of enteric pathogens, the range of pediatric problems encountered included a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, unmet primary care needs, and developmental and school difficulties. Fifty-eight percent of shelter residents were found to be "medically homeless." Formal liaison between a hospital-based clinic and a family shelter was found to be an effective way to promote a healthy environment in the family shelter and to provide needed medical services to shelter families.
Bass
J L
JL
Dept of Pediatrics, Framingham Union Hospital, MA 01701.
Brennan
P
P
Mehta
K A
KA
Kodzis
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009017:Morbidity